It’s another World Cup story
This year’s World Cup will see over three million videos shared by mobile phone users, according to predictions from videomail specialist Mobeon. The use of high definition messaging looks set to rocket as fans armed with the latest 3G phones start to descend on Germany.
From June 9, football fans equipped with the latest camera and videophones will share videos and photos of match moments across global mobile networks. During the tournament’s 64 games, tens of millions of photos and video clips will be sent to friends and family, according to estimates by Mobeon and based on experiences over the New Year and during the winter Olympics in Italy. However, the effect of these larger files and the increased amount of bandwidth required, will put pressure on European networks that are already working at near capacity.
“Never before has mobile messaging enabled fans to share the live atmosphere of such an exciting event to such an extent,” said Birgitta Olson, VP marketing at Mobeon. “Supporters will be turning up in Germany kitted out with mobile phones that will enable them to share personal experiences and the intense emotions of the event with a short videomail or picture message.”
Despite mobile operators in Europe spending billions on 3G licences, these services have been slow to take off. A combination of recent advances in handset technology and a spectacle such as the World Cup looks set to kick start a dramatic uptake in the use of a wider range of messaging services, as customers begin to see the benefits they offer.
“Voice services during the World Cup will be stretched by the shear volume of calls. Having messaging services set up ensures mobile users can be confident that video, picture and text messages will get through should a call not complete,” continued Olson.